HONORED. The martyrdom of the three Filipino Catholic priests, Mariano Gomez, José Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora (GOMBURZA) is honored with a sculpture unveiled inside a 430-year-old museum in Cavite City on Thursday (Feb. 23, 2023). The impact of their martyrdom lasts forever, according to Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla (third from right), who led the unveiling. (PNA photo by Rossel Calderon)
CAVITE CITY – The lives of the three Filipino Catholic priests, Mariano Gomez, José Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora (GOMBURZA), were cut short at the hands of their executioners during the Spanish rule but the impact of their martyrdom last forever.
These were the words of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla when he unveiled the GOMBURZA sculpture inside the dungeon of the 430-year-old Philippine Navy Museum in this city late Thursday afternoon.
The bronze eight feet tall sculpture was created by Architect Flordeliza Villasenor.
In his speech, Remulla reminisced the heroics of Fr. Gomez, the pride of Bacoor, Cavite; Fr. Burgos a native of Manila; and Fr. Zamora from Marikina, who were all sentenced to death and died by garrote on February 17, 1872, in Bagumbayan (now Luneta Park) by Spanish colonial authorities after being accused of subversion arising from the 1872 Cavite mutiny.
The three priests gave up their lives which contributed to the freedom enjoyed by every Filipino today, the secretary said.
"There will be no Noli Me Tangere, there will be no El Filibusterismo and there will be no Dr. Jose Rizal in Bagumbayan if there was no GOMBURZA in our history, and although their story was short-lived, the effect was long-lasting," Remulla said.
"We became a nation because of every man and woman who dedicated their lives for our freedom and democracy," he added.
Remulla is joined by Cavite City Mayor Denver Reyes Chua and City Councilor Nash Aguas during the unveiling of the sculpture which is to mark the 151st death anniversary of the three priests and also to mark National Arts Month. (PNA)
